Congressman John Salazar has yet to hold district meetings during the August recess, but his office says he’s not “hiding” from the health care debate, as Republicans have charged.

Spokesman Eric Wortman said Monday that Salazar was “somewhat shocked” at the charge, considering that it was the Manassa Democrat who invited President Barack Obama to come to Grand Junction to talk about the Democratic health care proposal.

Obama held a town-hall meeting there on Saturday, which Salazar attended.

Dick Wadhams, the state GOP chairman, sent a news release Monday accusing the congressman of being “virtually invisible in August.” The headline read: “Salazar hides from public opposition to health care reform, No town meetings scheduling during the August recess.”

Wortman said Salazar will be announcing events later this week.

Salazar is serving his third term representing the 3rd Congressional District.

Wortman said Salazar spent the first week of the recess with this family as his son Miguel got married.

Salazar last week attended the Project New West summit in Denver. At the time, he said he had been raking and baling hay.

“People forget that he is one of only two active ranchers and farmers in Congress,” Wortman said. “I know that at one point, he had close to 1,000 acres he needed to get done.”

Wadhams also issued a press release blasting Democratic congresswoman Betsy Markey of Fort Collins, saying her town-hall meetings are a “sham,” claiming they are restricted to 20 attendees.

He also said she is “ignoring” 14 Eastern Plains counties.

Markey is holding 12 meetings in the next 18 days as part of a self-described “public-outreach blitz.”

At each stop, which range from 90 minutes to three hours, Markey will meet with groups of up to 20 people for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.